Catching up, sort of...

Oct. 19th, 2021 08:30 pm
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It has been an absolutely wild couple of weeks. New job is in Week 4 and it's okay? The people are reasonably nice and I'm learning a different part of the forest, kind of. Still stuck in QA Land, just the biz side of it this time, which does not fill me with delight and honestly, I'd rather be writing and publishing so it's been hard to switch gears. But it is what is and I've had worse gigs. Still wrangling insurance (new contracting co. will partially insure me, but not Jana, so I have to do stopgap again until I can get her on the ACA. Good times!).

So what else is going on, Catherine? I won a writing grant from Ladies of Horror Fiction! After I finish digging my way out from a few more contracted obligations, I'm planning on doing an expended version of my queer horror historical survey which originally ran in Nightmare Magazine's Queer Destroy Horror. :-D And my short story, "A Cry in the Night" is now a game scenario in the brand shiny new RPG World of Darkness: Ghost Hunters, which just came out from Onyx Path Publishing last week! And my novel Blood Moon got an Honorable Mention (finalist, essentially) in the Rainbow Awards yesterday!

I've also had a swell month as a publisher. Foxhunt by Rem Wigmore has been getting some great write-ups, including this one from Tor.com that includes it in a list of 5 essential solarpunk novels. And Obviously, Aliens by Jennie Goloboy is up for preorder now and will be out on 11/1. It's already getting some nice buzz too. The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper by A.J. Fitzwater also got a Rainbow Award Honorable Mention. :-D
 
And I did most of these events, except for my upcoming Gothic horror class and my next book club appearance. Still room for signups for both!
  • WROTE Podcast - October 9th. I'll be a guest and talking about small press publishing and Queen of Swords Press.
  • Columbia Heights Pride - October 9th, 11-5PM CST. Columbia Heights, MN. Queen of Swords Press will have a table and I and my staff will be around.
  • Writers Drinking Coffee Podcast - midOctober air date. Interview about my writing, Queen of Swords Press and more.
  • North Country Gaylaxians Book Club - October 11th, 7:30PM CST. Quatrefoil Library/online, Minneapolis. They talked about my novel, Blood Moon.
  • Twin Cities Book Festival - October 16th, 10-5PM. St. Paul, MN. Queen of Swords Press will be there! I'll also be on the Local Author Showcase, talking about Blood Moon.
  • Lambda Sci-Fi Book Club - Thursday, October 28th, 7:30PM EST. The Book Club is discussing Silver Moon and I'll be joining to chat with them online in the second half of the discussion.
  • Crimson Peaks and Menacing Mansions: Writing Gothic Horror - Saturday, October 30th, 9:30-11:30 PST. Online class at the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers. Writing Gothic horror! Tips, tricks and techniques.
Plus a few more things. I am...exhausted, but have miles to go before I sleep and all that. Stay tuned!

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Weekly Accountability Post, Part the 6th

Mar. 3rd, 2021 07:32 pm
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2 weeks into new contracting gig and people are being pleasant to me and saying nice things about my work; I had forgotten what that was like. At any rate, I'm having to ramp up and learn some new stuff, which is a bit painful at the moment because I'm also planning a book release and have been way behind on the blog posts and interviews I committed to. Here's where we're at:
  • I dusted the living room! I know it doesn't sound like much, but it was sorely needed.
  • Print revisions for Blood Moon are done and print preorder is available!
  • Talked to New Zealand artist Laya Rose about doing a cover for author Rem Wigmore's fab queer post-apocalyptic hopepunkish novel Foxhunt which Queen of Swords Press will be releasing this summer.
  • Drafted 3 interviews and 3 blog posts for the Blood Moon blog tour, plus one extra for Cat Rambo's blog. I need to do another interview for a heavy metal blog next (the editor likes my work :-). I have NEVER thought so much about why I write what I wrote and how I do it.
  • Finished tax organization and sent it off to our accountant..
  • Took an SEO for authors class with Cat Rambo and began applying some of it (Cat is an excellent teacher).
  • Had an interview posted at Horror Tree for Women in Horror Month.
  • Commissioned some ads from author A.L. Lester, who does some nice graphics.
  • Applied for several more events and got accepted for Outwrite DC and Flights of Foundry (as a vendor so far).
  • Wrapped up most of the Pride Month StoryBundle organizing. Melissa Scott and I are co-curating and it's going be an awesome lineup.
  • Watched more Black Sails, Space Sweepers (quite liked) and the first few episodes of Lupin (liked a lot!).
  • I'll be teaching Book Promo on a Budget on 3/7.
Onward! Off to go read more of the book I need to blurb.
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Weekly Accountability Post, Part the 5th

Feb. 17th, 2021 08:15 pm
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Just came from the kickoff meeting for my new contract so that's now a thing. A lot of this week was a wash from a productivity perspective - not much completed, several things stalled out. But here we go:
  • Edits completed for Blood Moon and print revisions almost done - just a couple of small tweaks left.
  • Accepted New Zealand author Rem Wigmore's Foxhunt and local agent and Minnesota writer Jennie Goloboy's comic roadtrip with aliens novel, Obviously, Aliens for Queen of Swords Press. Ideally, these will be the summer and winter books for this year.
  • Got most QoSP titles loaded up onto Google Play, thus adding a platform for potential sales.
  • Gave up on getting a PPP Loan for Jana.
  • Got utterly mired in tax organization and didn't finish.
  • Recognized that I wasn't using Media Bistro for anything and canceled it, but did sign up for an SEO for authors class with Car Rambo.
  • Finished an interview post for Women in Horror Month at Horror Tree - it should go up in the next few days.
  • Finished most of a blog post for Nerds of a Feather and some other sundry Blood Moon publicity.
  • Applied for several events.
  • Did some cleaning and organizing and required reading.
  • Oh, and taught a class! In Flagrante Delicto went well and was a lot of fun. I'll be teaching Book Promo on a Budget on 3/7.
New job officially starts tomorrow with a 3 hour meeting. I have dealt with a bunch of technology-related stuff - I have to have an ergonomic keyboard and mouse and the ones we have live in the main office, but I'll need to be up in the attic most of the time so additional keyboard and mouse en route. I still have a TON more to do so we'll see what I can dent in the coming days. Much love to everyone down south dealing with the cold and freezing inside - may it pass quickly and you get better things very soon.
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Where I'll be in 2020

Dec. 31st, 2020 07:50 pm
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Updated as things come up, as per the norm.

January:

  • Queen of Swords Press 3rd Birthday Celebration - Minneapolis, MN. Saturday, January 25th, 2-5PM. Join us at the Irreverent Bookworm, Minneapolis' newest bookstore, for an afternoon of fun, munchies, book sales and giveaways to celebrate our 3rd birthday!
  • "Book Promotion on a Budget" - Sunday, January 26th, 9:30-11:30 PST. Online class at the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers. I'll be helping you to set up a promotional plan for your books and figuring out how to get the most from your available resources.

February:

  • "Breaking Out of the Slush Pile" - Saturday, February 9th, 1-2:30 PM CST. I'll be teaching an online class for Hidden Timber Books on ways to make your manuscript stand out in a good way.
  • 13 Gears: An Eclectic Steampunk Event - Minneapolis, MN. Saturday and Sunday, February 15-16th. Queen of Swords Press be back at 13 Gears with books and and fun again this year! We'll also be sharing a table with local horror/dark fantasy author, Patrick W. Marsh.
  • Not So Silent Planet Gets Sexy - Minneapolis, MN. Tuesday, February 18th from 8-10PM at Strike Theater. I'll be sharing some Emily L. Byrne hotness at this local speculative fiction story telling series.

March:

April:

May:

June:
  • "Book Promo on a Budget" - Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers, online. Coming back, by popular demand! With some updated thoughts on how to handle having a limited number of/no in person events. June 14th, 9:30-11:30 AM PST.
  • The Return of Running a Small Press: It's an Adventure - Minneapolis, MN. DreamHaven Books, June 17th. 6:30-8:00PM. Join publisher Catherine Lundoff for her annual talk on what it's like to start a small press and keep it going, the high points of 2019 and what's next. This will be a Facebook live event (with the possibility of in person attendance).
  • Rainbow Space Magic Virtual Con 2020 - June 20-21st. Online LGBTQ+ specfic convention. I'll be on programming, not sure of platform yet.
  • Twin Cities Pride Virtual Marketplace - June 27 -28th. Queen of Swords Press will have a "booth" and we'll be peddling books all weekend.
July:
  • "Book Promo on a Budget (Pandemic Version)" - July 12. Broad Universe members-only online workshop. Sign up for this and other workshops!
  • Columbia Heights Pride - July 18th, 1-4PM. Columbia Heights, MN. Online local Pride celebration. Queen of Swords will have a virtual table.
  • "So You Want to Put Together an Anthology?" - July 26th, 1-3PM PMT, 3-5 PM CST. Online class that I'm teaching at the Rambo Academy.
  • OutWrite DC- July 31st-August 2nd. Living life on the edge here - we also have a vendor table at this convention, concurrent with CONZealand. Waiting to hear about programming.
  • CONZealand – July 29th-August 2nd. Wellington, New Zealand. Online. I'll be on programming and Queen of Swords Press will have a virtual table.

August:

  • PrideFest 2020 - August 15-16th. Pueblo, Colorado. Virtual Pride festival. Queen of Swords Press is a vendor.
  • Hannah's Book Shelf - August 22nd. I was interviewed by Hannah Kate on North Manchester FM (U.K.).
  • Book Promo on a Budget - August 23rd, 9:30-11:30 PMT, 11:30-1:30 CST. Online class that I'm teaching at the Rambo Academy.

September:

October:

November:

  • VerbWellington - November 5-8th. Wellington, New Zealand. A.J. Fitzwater and A.C. Buchanan (who is also the Queen of Swords Press webmaster) are appearing at this fab writer's festival in New Zealand.
  • Midwest Spec-Fic Book Box - November 8th-22nd. 4 small presses, 5 books + surprises = the perfect holiday gift for the sf/f fan in your life! Queen of Swords Press, Atthis Arts, Apex Book Publishing and Aurelia Leo are collaborating on a gift box full of amazing reads. Official ordering link coming soon.
  • WomenVenture Women Mean Business - November 13th, 4-6PM CST. Online. Annual fundraiser and reception for WomenVenture, a local nonprofit that supports women starting and owning their own businesses in Minnesota. Queen of Swords Press will be in the Marketplace from 11/7-11/21; Nov. 13th is the actual event.
  • In Flagrante Delicto: Writing Effective Sex Scenes - November 22, 11:30-1:30 CST. Teaching at the Rambo Academy.
December:
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"For the dead travel fast..."

Nov. 16th, 2020 08:17 pm
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Welcome to my new catchphrase! It's from Bram Stoker's "Dracula's Guest," the excised original first chapter of Dracula, spun off as a separate short story. Many thanks to the Mysterious Old Listening Society for this info!

I'm packing my brain with all the info I'm picking up on email marketing, Kickstarter, audio books and project management. Tomorrow, I'm attending Publisher Weekly's PubTech Conference, which looks interesting. I'm also working on the copy for Blood Moon, a precursor to putting it up for preorder and generating ARCs and so forth. It's beginning to feel pretty real!

I'm recovering from an unpleasant reaction to my second shingles shot, but am on the mend. But a tad behind on work.

Otherwise. the WomenVenture Women Mean Business Marketplace is open through 11/21, should you feel inclined to check it out. Queen of Swords Press is one of 25 Minnesota women-owned small businesses in the Marketplace. And I'm teaching "In Flagrante Delicto: Writing Effective Sex Scenes" at the Rambo Academy this Sunday and there's room for a few more sign ups.

It's also the last week for the Midwest Spec-Fic Book Box, which ends on 11/20. Again, this is a collaborative project between Atthis Arts, Queen of Swords Press, Apex Books Co. and Aurelia Leo:

The Box contains:

  • Pimp My Airship by Maurice Broaddus
    • Apex Book Company, Lexington Kentucky
    • Steampunk, Afrofuturism
    • The revolution will not be televised!
  • The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus by Alanna McFall
    • Atthis Arts, Detroit Michigan
    • Paranormal, Queer, Fantasy, Literary, Humor
    • Chelsea is determined to make it to her brother’s wedding. And she’s not going to let the fact that she’s been dead for two years stop her.
  • Dominion: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora edited by Zelda Knight and Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald
    • AURELIA LEO, Louisville Kentucky
    • Short stories, Poetry, Afrofuturism, Africanfuturism, Horror*, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Adventure (*associated content warnings)
    • The first anthology of speculative fiction and poetry by Africans and the African Diaspora.
  • Murder on the Titania and Other Steam-Powered Adventures by Alex Acks
    • Queen of Swords Press, Minneapolis Minnesota
    • Collected Novellas, Steampunk, Adventure, Queer
    • Join Captain Ramos, Simms and their crew as they negotiate the perils of air, land and drawing room in a series of fast-paced adventures in a North America that never was.
  • Digital Downloads
    • Included e-book download of the four books above.
  • One Mystery Book
    • Don’t worry, it’ll be a good title, something we hope you’ll love.
    • If you’d prefer an age-range or genre, let us know in the order notes and we’ll see if we can accommodate.
  • Coupons and Swag
    • A little extra holiday love from the team, with our sincere thanks for supporting Midwest Indie Fiction.
    • Your box may have an extra surprise or two!

More than an $80 retail value plus special offers and swag!





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The Midwest Spec-Fic Book Box is here! And WomenVenture!

Nov. 6th, 2020 06:29 pm
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We have eaten an entire multi-layer chocolate cake from Turtle Bread Company this week. In case you wondered how we were handling things. I miss sleep a lot and will be doing something about that tonight, thank you. Please let this not be a repeat of 2016 is all I'm saying.

Other things going on: the Midwest Spec-fic Book Box is live! This is a deal on a box of books from 4 small publishers: Atthis Arts, Apex Book Company, Aurelia Leo and Queen of Swords Press. The titles include Pimp My Airship by Maurice Broaddus, Murder on the Titania and Other Steam-Powered Adventures by Alex Acks, The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus by Alanna McFall and Dominion: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora edited by Zelda Knight and Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald + a bonus surprise title and swag. It's $50 plus shipping and handling (U.S. only) and includes copies of the ebooks as well. It will be available until 11/20 and should make a lovely gift, if you didn't want it for yourself.

This week, starting tomorrow and running through Friday, Queen of Swords Press is a vendor at WomenVenture's Women Mean Business annual benefit. Registering is free, there's an auction and entertainment and a marketplace. WomenVenture is a local nonprofit that trains and supports women in small business; I got some of my training from them when I started out so I'm looking to pay back. They do good work and support some amazing things, just saying.

On 11/22, I'm teaching In Flagrante Delicto: Writing Effective Sex Scenes at the Rambo Academy. If it's a thin you've been wanting to work on, I'm your gal! And there are scholarships available, just saying.

Otherwise, day job has turned the corner into the amazingly toxic so I'm working to get all my ducks in a row for the inevitable point in the near future where either I leave it or it leaves me. I'm hoping to make this a combination of teaching, writing, publishing and a side gig doing project coordination and consulting (getting certified in this now), editing, etc. Tips, boosts, support for my Patreon, buying my books, signing up for my classes, telling your friends about my work, buying Jana's work, hiring Jana to do book repairs, etc., etc. We're a talented pair - reach out and ask if there's a thing we know how to do between the two of us.

Anyway, hoping to better days soon. Hugs to anyone who'd like one.

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Updatey things

May. 3rd, 2020 07:56 pm
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In big Queen of Swords Press news, Wireless and More Steam-Powered Adventures by Alex Acks, is a MIPA Midwest Book Awards Finalist for speculative fiction! We're all pretty excited about it. :-D

Adding some online events this month, complete with virtual tables and Zoom panels and what not.

On the home front, the house is awash in contractors for another week. Yesterday, was a surprise visit from the roofers to put in a new vent. And identify chimney problems. The bathroom is done for the time being and the attic is looking promising, at least. So it goes.

Otherwise, we're holding up as well as can be expected: working at home, doing puzzles, online events, Zoom calls, regular calls and what not. I've got at least another two weeks working from home, probably more. So lots of baking, online events, watching things and so forth. I hope you are all healthy and happy in the meantime!

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Catching-up...

Apr. 7th, 2019 07:11 pm
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Or something like it. Taught my second online class in a row this weekend, this one on editing an anthology. Lots of enthusiasm, great questions and...a power failure, plus several app issues (there was a local outage). Sigh. Cat Rambo did a great job holding things together, but then I got to spend the rest of the day pulling together support and extra materials so that people would feel like it was worth their while. We're looking at doing a followup as well as recording this one so stay tuned. Also, I'm getting fiber optic installed in the next month or so, which hopefully make it lot easier for online teaching and related activities.

Today was all about errands - shipping books for ClexaCon, dropping books off at the Little Free Library that I adopted, dropping copies of Scourge of the Seas of Time (and Space) at Cream & Ale for next month's reading and meeting with my publishing assistant. The big news is that I'll be posting a CFS soon for queries for book length manuscripts and we'll see what comes in.

Home now and wrangling the game proposal I was supposed to get done ages ago, writing and trying to get organized for day job insanity tomorrow. Also, I'm supposed to leave on Thursday morning for ClexaCon. Bets on whether or not the fear April "surprise" blizzard due on Wednesday hits the Twin Cities? I don't like our odds but am hoping for the best.


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